Meet this teacher whose determination stands higher while reaching school during floods

Bhubaneswar: Meet 49 year old teacher of Rathiapala primary school in Dhenkanal district of Odisha whose determination of teaching wasn’t been hampered even by the swollen Sapua River for the past 11 years or so.

Identified as Binodini Samal, she has been teaching here at Rathiapala primary school since 2008 as a Ganasikshyak-- one of the thousands of contractual teachers appointed by Odisha School and mass education department in early 2000-- and her teaching routine involves wading through the swollen Sapua river in monsoon, every day.

Speaking to media, the teacher said, “For me, work matters more than anything else. What would I do sitting at home?”

As per a media report, her first salary as a Ganasikhyak was only Rs 1,700 and which has now reached Rs 7,000 a month. Two days ago, the photos of Samal crossing the gushing river with water up to her neck had gone viral on Facebook.

It has also come to light that the school, where Samal teaches, has only 53 students and is located across Sapua river about three km away from her home in Jaripal village of Hindol block in Dhenkanal district.

Reports also states that a bridge was also proposed to be built across the 40-metre breadth of the river some years ago, but it is yet to materialize.

So every day, Samal and school headmistress Kananbala Mishra, have to reach the school negotiating Sapua.

It is to be noted that during the monsoon, the headmistress and students may sometimes fail to make it to the school due to the raging river, but not Samal.

“I always keep a spare set of saree, petticoat and blouse in school almirah. While crossing the river, I keep my mobile phone and other necessary items in a plastic bag and keep it overhead while swimming through the river. I change into the school uniform of pink saree after reaching school all wet and soggy. I repeat the routine while going home. Even though I have fallen sick sometimes, I have never taken a day off,” added Samal, who teaches students of classes 1-3.

Though she is a good swimmer, she has been close to getting washed away on several occasions. “Two years ago, I was thrown off-balance by the river current and drifted away for some time till I found solid ground. That day my vanity bag was completely wet,” she added further.

Samal is not married and stays with her brother and sister-in-law, who don’t approve of her swimming through the river. “I don’t tell them about the risks I have to undertake,” she mentioned.

Damodar Pradhan, a local youth leader of Hindol said Samal has been doing what no male teacher can even dare. “In our area, people know that students may miss school but not Binodini madam. She should be given special award just for her devotion and total commitment to her duty,” said Pradhan.

But all the hard work has not been enough to get her service regularised, which should have been done in 2016 after 8 years of her service. “I should have been getting a monthly salary of Rs 27,000 for the last 3 years, but I am yet to get it,” she says.

Meanwhile, Dhenkanal district collector Bhumesh Behera said he was not aware of the difficulties faced by the school teacher and would seek details.

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